Stylish Sporty Fall Finds

No doubt about it, fall has arrived in the Western Hemisphere. With a change of seasons, perhaps you need to add a few new casual pieces to your fall wardrobe? Old Navy is located a couple of blocks from where I live, so it's impossible not to float into the store often when passing. I continue to be amazed by the quality of the retailer's leggings at ultra-affordable price points making them a steal! 

The merchant tends to tweak their offerings from year to year so when you find a style you like and they go on sale, it's a good idea to buy a few pairs. You may prefer mostly cotton fabric but next year find mostly polyester or modal as choices. The waistband may change or the flare could be discontinued.

To the left are all the selections of leggings this fall, which consist of different styles, textures (meaning weaves and fabrics), and lengths. 

Although 8 offerings require studying each one, a good selection is great for different body types or activities. Two Old Navy leggings I love right now include:

1) High-Waisted Ankle Leggings For Women - Although I prefer jet black, there are other colors too. They sit just below the belly button and are 96% cotton and 4% spandex. Super soft and smooth for comfort, and opaque. Lightweight yet not see-through, I highly recommend them for fall and early winter. They are warm, but not too warm for the sometimes 75-degree F days of autumn. They are fitted through the hips and waist and narrow at the ankles. At times I wear these smooth and lightweight leggings with black ankle socks under a dress in winter instead of tights for warmth with comfort, and nobody is the wiser!

2) Extra High-Waisted PowerChill Leggings For Women - They sit slightly above the belly button and contain 53% cotton, 22% polyester, 13% modal, and 12% spandex. These are light and airy, but also a tad heavier than my 1st recommendation above. Great for Pilates, yoga, or a workout. They are fitted at the hips and thighs and narrow at the ankles. The fabric offers 4-way strength with stay-dry, sweat-wicking technology. They also have an elastic waist that has an inside pocket. Unlike pair #1, they'll be warm enough to take you through the winter months and in the jet-black hue can be dressed up with ballet flats and a blazer. They also come in shorter 7/8 lengths.

3) Dr. Scholl's Women's Time Off Platform Sneakers - I'm recommending these with caveats. Not only are they cute and feminine with leggings, jeans, and dresses, but the platforms provide a measure of arch support and stable heels. Customers love how comfortable they are for walking. For sneakers they are also well priced, but here's the rub ... customers report if you wear them a lot for walking, they won't last longer than 6 months to a year. The shoes' material tends to separate from the rubber, so don't pay the full retail price but wait for a generous sale. I'd buy the Time Off Platforms on sale for $40, but not at $69 or $100. Even at the lower price, I'd be disappointed if they didn't last. To be competitive, Dr. Scholl needs to resolve this manufacturing weakness to make these stylish and supportive sneakers as durable as Nikes and Converse! Sneakers are made for walking … but sometimes a cute style we know to baby is tempting, no?

So there you are, 3 sporty styles to take you through the fall while leaving you with a few dollars to put in your leggings' hidden pocket.

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Plaid and Checkerboard Plaid For Fall 2020

Flannel shirts are a fall wardrobe staple and this year is no exception. I'm reading that checkerboard plaid is trendy. Where have fashion editors been? Plaid, including checkerboard plaid, has never gone out of style. I have a couple of checkerboard plaid shirts and jackets decades old. Truth! Classics never date, and good quality clothing outlasts the latest trends!

In their new fall catalogs, both Lands' End and L.L. Bean are offering a wide section of colors in plaid flannel shirts, tunics and jackets. The quality and style of the two competitors are hair-splitting similar. Lands' End seems to host more money-saving promotions while L.L.Bean has expanded its inventory to include plaid hoodies, dresses and bathrobes.

I have clothing and all-weather shoes from both companies. Sometimes one offers a better price, at other times the other merchant has a color left in my size. A double selection from 2 retailers always works in a customer's favor. Between the 2 there are many colors and washable fabrics! I've picked a few of my favorites: The top 4 plaids are from Lands' End, the bottom 4 plaids are L.L. Bean offerings. Tomatoes, tomaytoes all comfy and cozy!

Like flannel fabric, plaid, including checkerboard plaid, is this fall's "new" tried and true trend. Do you need to replace a wardrobe staple?

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10 Tastes Of Autumn

Photo by Bernadette Durham in The New York Times

Continuing on the subject of Autumn: Wow ... isn't the above photo, which recently appeared in the New York Times gorgeous? According to the paper, it was taken in Bedford, New York by Bernadette Durham. It makes me want to take a walk in the park.

Once Autumn arrives I can't get enough of certain foods. They scream HARVEST TIME ... THE FALL SEASON is upon us. Get your appetites ready for:

1) apples - My favorite apple variety is probably the tangy McIntosh. I also love a sour Granny Smith, or Empire, or Cortland ... there's no good reason not to mix it up!

2) butternut squash - So simple to cook too: Slit a few holes in the squash with a knife, then microwave until tender - about 8-10 minutes.

3) sweet potatoes - Either oven bake wrapped in foil (about 30 minutes at 350 degrees F), or microwave, rolled in a paper towel (about 8 minutes) until tender. At one time, I thought oven baked potatoes ruled, but I've gotten used to microwaved "baked" potatoes too.

4) pears - Softer than a crisp apple, but plump, sweet, juicy and scrumptious!

5) popcorn - A bowl of popcorn is so munchable!

6) peanut butter cookies - 3 ingredients: Mix 2 cups peanut butter; 2 eggs; 1 cup sugar in a bowl. Form the cookies, score the tops with a fork; bake on an oiled cookie sheet for 12-15 minutes. Easy!

7) cabbage - savory, boiled and eaten with white potatoes; or made into kimchi, the spicy, pickled, national dish of Korea; or prepared as cabbage-tofu soup. Voilà! One head of cabbage, 3 ways to eat it.

8) soups: pea, bean, lentil, egg thread, vegetable beef or miso. Soups are warm and soothing after strong winds blow you to pieces.

9) cornbread - Several years ago, I bought a 10 inch cast iron skillet just to make pans of cornbread, but the skillet is versatile for most baking and stove top cooking. Meatloaf bakes golden brown in a cast iron skillet. Mmm, follow up with gravy.

10) real apple cider -- As an adult, I discovered alcoholic apple cider in a neighborhood British pub. Up until then, I only drank an apple-juice-like-apple-cider. I didn't know what I was missing. Real apple cider is very refreshing! 

Ten tastes that ... well, um ... taste amazing at this time of year! Simple, inexpensive and healthy too. What would you add to this list?

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A Dream Pumpkin Cake

Photo: tomsfarm.com

Autumn begins on Sunday. Temperatures are dropping making it the perfect time to turn on the oven. A recipe that's traveling around the internet [see The Novice Chef] sounds delicious. As usual, I tweaked the ingredients to make the cake slightly healthier, but don't fool yourself! It's still a gooey, buttery dessert, not an all-you-can-eat leafy green vegetable. However, if you eat healthy most of the time, you can have a slice of cake, unless of course your doctor says otherwise.

Dream Pumpkin Cake

For the cake -

Ingredients: 
3 cups flour (I use half all purpose and half whole wheat.)
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 ¼ cups sugar (I reduce it from 2 cups, eek!)
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
A dash of cinnamon
1 15 oz can pumpkin
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup buttermilk (Add another ¼ cup, or so, if needed to get a not too dry or runny consistency. Eyeball it.)

Directions:

Photo: The Novice Chef

1. In a bowl, mix the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt.

2. Add the remaining ingredients, one at a time and blend with an electric mixer until creamy.

3. Divide the batter evenly by pouring into 2 greased cake pans.

4. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F oven for 35 to 45 minutes, or until done in the center.

5. Let cool for about 5 - 10 minutes in the freezer and remove from the pans. Don't let the cakes continue to bake in the hot pans. You want to keep them moist.

For the frosting -

Ingredients: 

12 oz (1 ½ packages) cream cheese, softened 
½ cup butter, softened
3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1 tablesoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon
6 cups powdered sugar 

Directions:

1. In a bowl, mix the butter and cream cheese until creamy.

2. Beat in maple syrup, vanilla and cinnamon. 

3. Add the powdered sugar and blend until smooth. 

4. Frost the top, middle and sides of the cake.

5. Professional bakers will put the cake into the refrigerator to let the frosting set, then remove it to frost it again. So a second frosting is totally up to you.

Serve with coffee, tea or milk. 

You get some protein, fiber, vitamins A, B, E, D and calcium in this pumpkin cake, but probably not enough to offset the sugar, nor count as a healthy food. So it's a ring-in-the-fall special treat. Enjoy!

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